


Get Up, Get Out, Get Away ('This is Halloween' Remix)

by nevertothethird



Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Post-The Thousand Dollar Tan Line
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 18:03:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4231515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevertothethird/pseuds/nevertothethird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Logan returns from deployment in August but two months later leaves again. He's back in time to celebrate the last moments of Halloween.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Get Up, Get Out, Get Away ('This is Halloween' Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [APgeeksout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/APgeeksout/gifts).
  * Inspired by [This is Halloween](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2513642) by [APgeeksout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/APgeeksout/pseuds/APgeeksout). 
  * Inspired by [This is Halloween](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2513642) by [APgeeksout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/APgeeksout/pseuds/APgeeksout). 
  * In response to a prompt by [APgeeksout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/APgeeksout/pseuds/APgeeksout) in the [remixmadness2015](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/remixmadness2015) collection. 



> **Prompt:** WWE, Supernatural, Veronica Mars, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fringe, Life, MCU, Banshee, and a handful of other mostly Yuletide-sized fandoms
> 
> No safe story, WIPs, or Remixes (though "A Full House" in VMars and "Mothers See" in The Big Valley are sequels to others' stories)

Logan parks in front of the new Mars family home and takes a moment to steel himself before opening the car door. He hopes Veronica isn’t looking out the window for more trick or treaters. If she is she’ll be greeted by the sight of him nervously shifting in his front seat.

 

After his return to base that evening his first instinct was to head straight to the Mars’ but he opted to stop briefly at his condo. Take a shower. Eat something not military grade. Convince himself that this Veronica might appreciate a big gesture surprise.

 

* * *

 

The invitation to participate in the Air Force sponsored aerial training exercises is coveted and when his CO presents it to him he doesn’t hesitate to accept. Minutes after the meeting, though, he realizes he’ll have to tell Veronica. And she’s going to be less than thrilled that three months after his return he plans to leave again.

 

Their tentatively forged relationship rhythm is both familiar and new. Evenings usually end by trading work stories over a glass of wine. Conversations about the past nine years happen more casually. A word dropped here over coffee. A word dropped there while grocery shopping. Sometimes they’ll wake up and go for a run then take languid showers together. Past iterations of their relationship never included this kind of domesticity. As adults, though, she spends as many nights at his condo as she does at her dad’s place.

 

He wants her to stay for keeps.

 

It’s over burgers and fries at his place that he mentions the training exercise. There’s a number of things he wants to explain: how good it feels to hear people whisper about him for the right reasons; how different and strange the world looks during a night flight; how he’s proud of himself and wants her to be too.

 

At her crestfallen expression he’s unable to access those words. He reaches across the table and weaves their fingers together. “It’s only two weeks,” he says.

 

She nods and gently removes her hand from his, picking up her burger and smiling around a large bite. He’s tempted to run his hands through his hair in frustration. She won’t let herself be sad. She doesn’t think she has permission to be angry, so she’s settled for aloof. As much as Logan wants to force a confrontation he also wants to live in the bliss of the moment a little longer. So he steals a fry from her plate and laughs when she smacks his hand away. It’s only two weeks and then he’ll be back.

 

But of course it doesn’t work that way.

 

With someone waiting for him at home Logan discovers that while the Navy demands punctuality from their officers they don’t hold themselves to the same standard. Which is why he shouldn’t be surprised when his fourteen day trip is extended. He tells Veronica via email that his trip has been extended by five, maybe six days.

 

_He hates this._

 

* * *

It ends up being a four day extension. Logan chose not to tell Veronica his confirmed return date in fear of disappointing her again. The idea of surprising her seemed romantic while in the air but as he drove from San Diego to Neptune he questioned that.

 

He sighs, allowing himself one last moment of procrastination and exits the car. He grabs the bottle of wine on his front seat. Wine can’t hurt.

 

The Mars porch lights are still on which he takes as a good sign. A few straggler trick or treaters walk up and down the side walk. It’s mostly teenagers in hastily done makeup wearing basketball jerseys or flannel. He snorts. _B-rate zombie costumes – always a classic_. As he approaches the front door he notices the illuminated jack ‘o lanterns on the front porch and something about the sight settles him. Makes the knot of tension in his stomach unfurl.

 

It’s evident the Mars family shuns the modern day pumpkin carving packages which include complex patterns for vampires and werewolves. One jack o’ lantern features a single toothed grin and classic triangle eyes. The other actually looks like it’s smirking at him and Logan would bet the bottle of wine he holds that it was done by Veronica.

 

 _He missed this._ And that thought sends a rush of longing through him. It’s an absurd thing to feel when he’s so close to her front door. It’s just if he’d been here he could have carved a pumpkin. Maybe he and Veronica would have worn couples costumes as they handed out candy. He could have tried to get her to makeout with him every time her dad left the room.

 

He sighs again because _how do they do this?_ How does he do this? In college he lived for Veronica. Loved her and lived for her. He doesn’t know how to love her and live for more than her. It’s good that he’s passionate about something now. It’s good. But he has a moment of doubt when confronted with what he’s missed in his absence.

 

He knocks on the door and his heartbeat quickens when he hears her footsteps. Does an odd little jig as he sees the doorknob turn.

 

She speaks even as she opens the door. “I can offer you a handful of chocolate chips, or your pick of the pocket change, rubberbands, paperclips in this jar on the endtable.”

 

And god, he doesn’t know what he loves more: The sound of the first words he’s heard from her in almost three weeks or the sight of her wearing a long sleeve crewneck shirt that inexplicably reads ‘Go Ceiling!’

 

It’s her look of wide eyed confusion mixed with surprise that reminds Logan he has yet to speak. “What if I have a treat for you, instead?” he asks, holding out the bottle of wine.

 

One second becomes two as she holds the door open, staring at him without blinking. There’s a moment of fear that she’s going to slam it shut. That he’ll have to slink back to his car, still clutching his bottle of expensive red wine and return to his condo to drink it alone. But then he takes a breath because this isn’t rejection – this is her processing. And he can understand if she has a million questions.

 

Before he can even open his mouth to start explaining she grabs his hand and pulls him into her. She wraps her arms around his waist and presses her cheek tightly to his chest. The contented stuttering sigh she lets out is the best sound he’s heard in weeks.

 

“I'd say you keep surprising me with all the new tricks you've picked up,” she says.

 

Over her shoulder he sees two pompoms sitting on the coffee table. Between those and her shirt he gets it. She’s a _ceiling fan_ and the pun is both so stupid and so _her_ that he might cry. _God._ It’d be so easy to live for her and her alone. She makes it so easy.

 

She pulls back and settles her hands on his shoulders, looking up at him through eyes that also look a little glassy. “You’re lookin’ good, sailor.”

 

“Aviator,” he corrects. He tucks his knees at the same time she presses up on her toes. He’ll never tire of the way they meet in the middle when they kiss. He nudges her nose with his, keeping his eyes open to watch her every expression.

 

Every time they kiss he discovers something new about her. This night is no different. He learns that when her eyes are glassy with unshed tears it causes the blue of her eyes to darken.

 

When he’s no longer able to focus on the details of her face he closes his eyes and presses his lips to hers. He’s careful to keep it light, aware that her dad could walk into the room at any time but the thought of not kissing her in that moment is insanity.

 

She pulls away first, kissing him once more on the side of his mouth and he smiles as their foreheads press together. He keeps his eyes closed. She’ll have questions about how the exercises went – many of which he won’t be able to answer. The discussion of his next deployment will also likely come up (still at least six months away, _thank god_ ). But for now, he just wants to savor being with her in this moment.

 

“Happy Halloween,” he whispers.

 

“Happy Halloween,” she returns.

 

He opens his eyes.


End file.
